by Ivy Rose
When it was time for lunch, I wasn’t listening to any of the girls around the table. Lost in my own little world, I suddenly sensed him, looked up and saw him a couple of tables away. He was sitting with his brother, Luca, Julian and a few other guys. A slow grin spread across his face and I felt my heart melt. I broke eye contact and turned my attention back to Jasmine, who was eagerly talking about something.
“You’re going right?” she asked and looked at me.
“Going where?”
“To the autumn party.”
“Yes, of course,” I replied and tried my hardest not to look back at Adrian, who I knew was staring at me from across the room. I could still feel his heated gaze without even looking at him, which made me flustered. “I need to find something to wear.”
“Oh my God, it’s this Friday. You need to find something nice to wear, ASAP girl.” Jasmine laughed.
I knew I was unprepared, but I hadn’t paid too much attention to this autumn party. I’d been too preoccupied with learning about a secret world and my strange new abilities. I sucked in a deep breath and looked at my friends. If they only knew…
“I’ll get right on it,” I murmured.
When the bell rang for the day, I happily packed up my belongings and left school. I didn’t see Adrian, but I knew that he was at soccer practice for the school team, which was probably for the best anyway. He had a perfect track record of distracting me, and I needed to get home to see Mr and Mrs Peters.
I started my first lesson with the Peters, learning more about the time my grandmother was a guardian of light. I learned about the struggles my grandparents had faced when they first met, with my grandfather being a human, and the controversy that came along with my grandmother’s decision to marry him. They told me everything up to the point where my mum was born.
“That’s all the history I can give you about your family. The next part of your family history, which includes you of course, is up to Helena to share.”
“Do you know who my dad is?” Ever since I found out about all of this, I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that this world I’d been introduced to included my dad somehow.
Mr and Mrs Peters looked at each other. Mrs Peters answered cautiously. “Like we said, Helena needs to tell you the rest. This is her story, not ours to share.”
“But she doesn’t want to talk about him; she never has.”
“Things have changed, dear. I’m quite sure she will tell you about your father if you ask her again.”
I knew then that my dad was somehow involved in all of this. I could tell by the way they looked at each other.
“Okay…so what about the amulet and the harvest ritual? How does that work?” I asked instead and grabbed another cinnamon bun from the platter on the table.
“There is only one amulet of its kind and it has been in your family since the first battle between light and dark here on Earth. The amulet is crafted with pieces from nine heirlooms. These heirlooms were carefully selected from particular angels of light. They were strong light bearers with very special powers. Piece by piece the amulet was put together, two Thursdays in a row. On the third Thursday it was the harvest moon.
“And this was around the time of the Black Death?”
“Yes, in the fourteenth century.”
“Okay. And why the harvest moon?”
“It’s the closest full moon to the autumn equinox. The name originally comes from our farmers, who would harvest their crops from early morning until late, as the moon offered light to help them finish the harvest. With the amulet, the night of the harvest moon was the night it was forged with all its powers. You see, the moon is a powerful tool when it comes to spell work and magic. It has unlimited energy and power to offer. By forging the amulet under the harvest moon, it enhanced its power. It’s the most powerful piece of jewellery in the world.”
“And the harvest ritual?”
“On the fourth Thursday, they entered the day of the autumn equinox, and the first guardian of light was crowned in a harvest ritual.”
“Was their blood being spilled in this ritual? Animals getting slaughtered? This sounds really ancient, and a little bit crazy.”
Mr Peters laughed. “No, it was and still is a celebration of our new guardian of light. No sacrifices needed. Back in the day, harvest rituals were associated with nature’s cycle and the seasons. Regular farmers had rituals, just as we did. The difference was that they did it to enhance their upcoming harvest, while we did it to crown a new guardian of light or celebrate other light bearers. These days, rituals are not that common, which makes it harder for us not to stand out. That’s why the chosen location is a little bit isolated.”
“Which is where?”
“Outside Lovika Creek. The farm is owned by, well, you and Helena now. The harvest ritual takes place inside the big red barn by the river on the farm.”
“And who will be there?”
“Well, every light bearer will be invited. It’s a very special night for all of us.”
“And what exactly happens that night?”
“Well, we will start with a massive feast. Everyone brings food, and we all sit down to eat together. Most people know each other, so it’s just a nice gathering. Then the most powerful light bearers, apart from you and your family, will bind you to the amulet. It’s a magical night for so many reasons.”
“And who are the most powerful light bearers, apart from me? Do you know them?”
Mrs Peters cleared her throat. “Well, that would be us, love.” She smiled kindly.
“You?!”
She gently grabbed my hand. “Don’t look so shocked, dear.”
“I’m just…I don’t know. It’s weird to think about you two that way – no offence. I can’t even see myself as a light bearer.”
“We are light bearers, but our gifts are a little bit more powerful than others.”
“How?”
Now, Mr Peters cleared his throat, and I knew that he was about to reveal something greater than my common sense would be able to comprehend. “We are druids, love.”
I nodded and tried to process this information. Druids? “What does that mean?”
“Well, we are the only ones who have the power to cast spells and bond a guardian to the amulet. A normal caster doesn’t have that amount of power.”
I gaped. “Wow. Okay, so will this ritual be in front of a lot of people? I don’t like being the centre of attention.”
Mrs Peters smiled at me. “Well, that might be a little bit hard to avoid. You see, there will be a circle surrounding you with all the light bearers. They form what we call a ‘protection circle’ around you. This is an old tradition, and symbolises the seasons and nature’s cycle, just like we talked about earlier. They will all have their eyes closed though, so hopefully that will help you a little bit. Mr Peters and I will be inside the circle with you, and when we bond you to the amulet, you need to hold our hands.”
“Okay…”
“Don’t be scared. No one will make you feel uncomfortable. I promise you that.”
I shook my head. “It’s…a lot to take in, but you’re right. I will be fine.”
“You will,” Mr Peters said. “Why don’t we call it a day? It is a lot to take in. We’ll see you again tomorrow, okay? Take some time to process what we’ve told you.”
“What about, you know, self-defence and all that?”
“Let’s discuss it tomorrow. I already have someone who is willing to teach you a few things. I’ll introduce you to him next week. But please, don’t worry. The last time a light bearer was in an actual fight was before your grandmother. It’s highly unlikely that you would ever have to use any of those skills. It’s more about being a keeper, a protector. Don’t get it into your head that we’re going to war, because there’s absolutely no indication that we are.”
“And the person who’ll be training me, you know him?”
“Of course; his family lives in Lovika Creek, the plac
e you recently visited.”
“Yes, that’s where everything started. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why it happened there? I seemed to have a special connection to that place.”
“You’re right. Lovika Creek is a special place for light bearers,” Mrs Peters said.
I rose to my feet. “Okay, I better get home. I’ll see you tomorrow after school. Thank you for everything.”
The sun was about to set for the day as I slowly walked back towards our house. It was such a special feeling to walk through the forest in autumn. I could feel how everything around me was preparing for the upcoming winter, embracing the silence and getting ready to rest. It was like nature finally had a chance to exhale.
I stopped and closed my eyes, appreciating the silence around me, and that’s when it happened again. I felt the same energy run through me like a wild river, just like it had in the forest the weekend before. The warm sensation spread through my body and out to my fingertips. I opened my eyes and once again my fingertips were glowing. Mesmerised, I brought them up to my face. It was such an amazing feeling. I smiled and circled around where I stood, connecting myself to nature around me. It was like the trees were whispering ‘goodnight’ and I closed my eyes to give them my blessing.
“Time to let go…” I whispered to the forest, as I focused on withdrawing the pulsing energy from my fingertips. I didn’t know how to do it; but I needed to learn how to control it. I wasn’t even sure how to use this gift yet, or what I could use it for. My eyes remained closed, I faced my palms upwards and pictured myself letting go of the light. To my surprise, I could literally feel the light start to fade away. I opened my eyes and was greeted with the same stillness and calm that I’d felt before. Everything was back to normal. I’d done it, all on my own.
I reached the meadow before the riding school and stopped to admire the view at nightfall. The meadow was covered in a light blanket of mist, giving it a haunted, but beautiful appearance. It was magical and, in that moment, I knew that my newfound gift was exactly that: a gift, not a curse. I’d never felt such a sense of belonging like I did right now. This was my true home.
When I got back to the house, I texted Lexi and asked about the dress code for the upcoming party, and I giggled to myself when she replied: Like what you would wear to a prom, babe.
I got up from my bed and stepped into my walk-in closet. The only problem was, I’d never been to a prom. This was going to be interesting.
Chapter 20
I visited Mr and Mrs Peters almost every afternoon after school for the rest of the week. It surprised me how easy it was to live a double life. At school I was just me, the new girl who had captured the hottest guy in town. Adrian flirted openly with me, enjoying my crimson cheeks and pounding heart whenever he was near me. With the school’s upcoming soccer games and assignments that were due before the holidays, we didn’t really have time to meet after school, and that was fine by me. I really wanted to focus on the other part of my life. Lexi and the girls were all working with the party committee for school, too busy to even question my quick disappearances after school every day. It amazed me how easy it was to blend the two worlds together.
When the bell rang on Thursday afternoon, I grabbed my belongings and headed straight for the door, just like every other afternoon. I was looking forward to spending another exciting afternoon with Mr and Mrs Peters to learn about my legacy. I’d just unlocked the car and thrown my bag into the passenger seat when I felt that tingling sensation slowly travelling down my spine. I knew this feeling by now, and my head immediately jerked up and searched the parking lot. There was only one person who could make me feel like this. I found him leaning against his car, speaking to someone on his phone almost at the other end of the lot. Our eyes connected straight away, and I felt my belly do a little tap dance. Adrian started walking towards me and as he came closer, he finished off his conversation.
“I’ll talk to you later; I have more important things to do right now.” He gave me a spectacular smile, and I felt my cheeks heat straight away. He put his phone in his back pocket and looked at me with an amused smile. “Where are you running off to?” He leaned over me and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
“I-I’m going home. Where are you going?”
“I was hoping to catch you to see if you wanted to spend some time with me? I haven’t seen you much this week.” He gently let the back of his hand stroke my chin, then placed another feather-light kiss on my lips.
“What do you have in mind?” I whispered back against his lips.
“You’ll see. It’s a little surprise. Let’s take my car. I’ll drop you back here later.”
I locked my car, my interest piqued by his playful smile. I had devoted so much time this week to understanding this world I was part of, that I secretly welcomed the distraction. I needed a break, and it would be nice to have an afternoon doing something normal. “Okay, you got me. Now I’m beyond curious. What are we doing?”
He shook his head and chuckled softly. “Patience, angel.” He winked and grabbed my hand.
Half an hour later after passing a massive inland lake, Adrian parked his car and turned to me with a smile. We had driven through the autumn landscape for almost an hour before finally stopping.
“What is this place?” I asked curiously, as we stepped out of the car. In front of us was a low stone wall, covered in moss. In the middle was a weathered iron gate, reaching a few inches up to my waist. On the other side of the wall were overgrown rows of trees as far as my eyes could see. We were on elevated ground, because the rows continued down over a massive field, where another lake was hiding. In the background there were huge, majestic mountains. It was breathtaking.
“It’s an orchard?”
“Yep, it’s an old apple orchard.”
“And we’re allowed to be here?”
Adrian walked around to the back of his car and opened the trunk. “No need to worry, angel. We are definitely not trespassing.” He gestured his hand over the landscape in front of us. “Welcome to the Hunter Orchard.”
My mouth fell open. “This belongs to your family?”
“Yeah, it’s been in my family for generations. We don’t use it anymore though, as you can probably see. It’s a little bit overgrown.”
Adrian grabbed a blanket and basket and closed the trunk again. I nodded towards his hands. “Am I that predictable?”
He looked down at the items he was holding, and then up again. “Actually no. I would have come here today anyway; having you here with me is a bonus.” He grinned.
“You come here a lot?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I like getting away sometimes.” He tore his gaze from me and let it float across the orchard. “It clears my head.”
There was an edge to his voice that I’d never heard before, and for the first time since we’d met, I doubted his world was as trouble-free as it seemed. It didn’t bother me though; quite the contrary, it made him more real and that made my heart swell just that little bit more. He must have noticed himself drifting away, because he quickly recovered and shot me a playful grin. “Are you ready?”
“For what? Apple picking?” I asked. “Well, I think so. You tell me?”
“First time?” And just like that he was back to his normal self.
I blushed. “First time,” I confessed.
“You’ll love it. It’s surprisingly relaxing.” He winked. “Come on.” He walked around the car and reached for my hand. “Let’s get in there.”
I looked around. “It’s so beautiful. It’s…”
“Magical, I know.” He pulled me into his arms. “Just like you, angel.”
His words found themselves swirling softly, letter by letter into the deepest part of my soul. Adrian had mastered his way into my guarded heart so fast, that I couldn’t even recall precisely when it had happened. His words were not merely words; I could feel them. He unravelled me. I felt beautiful when he looked at me, something I’d never experienced i
n my whole life. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head down closer to mine. He was so tall.
“And so are you, Adrian Hunter,” I whispered against his lips. He planted another soft kiss on my lips.
“Let’s get in there before it gets dark. Let me teach you the art of apple picking.”
I arched an eyebrow. “There’s actually a certain way to pick apples?”
“Of course there is. And lucky for you, you are looking at the master himself. Now, follow me.” He grinned, and my heart skipped another beat at the sound of joy in his voice.
We entered through the weathered iron gate, and I couldn’t ignore the feeling of stepping back in time. The sun was still leaving a soft warmth on my face. The afternoons had been becoming colder every day. The beautiful autumn foliage surrounded us, displaying those gorgeous colours as far as the eye could see.
“I can understand why someone would choose to place an apple orchard here; it’s perfect. Look at this view.”
“Yeah, it’s quite a special place. There were more strategic reasons behind the location though.”
“Oh?”
“You see.” He pointed towards the lakes and water streams. “The lakes around here act like regulators of the air temperature. When spring first arrives, there’s still a risk of frost overnight. These lakes help the trees not to bloom too early. And during autumn, the season can be extended, and the trees can take advantage of the longer days. It makes better apples.”
“I’m impressed – you know your stuff.” I grinned. “So why isn’t anyone using this place anymore?”
Adrian shrugged. “Families moving away, family members passing away… It just happened. No one had an interest anymore.”
“What a shame.”
“Well, yes and no. We still own this land, so for selfish reasons I quite like the rustic setting. Imagine if it was still in use. We would probably have apple pickers everywhere right now, and I wouldn’t be able to come here and just breathe.”
As we walked down between the rows of apple trees, I felt that strong connection to nature again. There was this urge within me to touch the trees. I tightened my grip around Adrian’s hand. It would be disastrous if my powers started to emerge in front of Adrian. I took a deep breath and inhaled the crisp autumn scent, concentrating on letting go. Gradually, I felt that stirring subside inside me, as I shifted my focus to Adrian instead.
